In the Tallest Tower
by Namibean
Summary: Sanji x Nami AU - Prince Sanji is waiting to be rescued from his dark and gloomy life. Rated for language.
1. In the Carriage

One Piece is the property of Eiichiro Oda. I own nothing.

Inspired by the cover art for Chapter 671, this is my second submission for **sanami week**. Day 5, prompt: **Fairy Tale**

* * *

Once upon a time in a country in the North Blue…

The full moon shown brightly upon the mountainous landscape filled with forest. The dark, looming silhouette of Castle Vinsmoke was a stark contrast to the pale light of the moon. Despite its menacing presence, guests still continued to file up the winding road to the castle in their carriages. An invitation to a ball hosted by the Vinsmoke family was not to be missed, especially when the ball was in celebration of the third son's birthday.

Nami pulled the small curtain aside to peer out the window of her carriage. The large castle looked like something out of scary bedtime stories nannies told naughty children to give them nightmares. The orange-haired woman wasn't afraid though. She had been studying its layout for weeks. "Nami are you sure this is going to work? What if we get caught?" The waiver in her long-nosed companion's voice was unmistakable. She may not have been afraid, but Usopp definitely was.

"Don't worry, Usopp. I've planned everything perfectly," Nami called up to her friend. He may be a coward but his sniper skills were beyond compare, which was essential in some of the situations they found themselves in. He was also an impeccable liar, making him perfect for taking on any disguise. Right now he was posing as her carriage driver, wearing a plain black wool servant's suit and his black curly hair pulled back in a simple red ribbon.

"I'm kind of worried, too, Nami." She heard the faint voice of the reindeer pulling the carriage. _Not him too_ , Nami thought as she rolled her eyes. Chopper was the doctor of their little group. His cuteness also worked in their favor in that people easily trusted him and underestimated his strength.

"Chopper, I told you guys, I've got this." Nami was getting annoyed now. "Stop worrying. Both of you are going to throw off my game. Let's just get up to the castle."

...

Sanji stared at the gold mask in his hands. He hated balls; especially masquerade balls where fake people hid further behind masks. This ball was supposed to celebrate his birthday, but Sanji was no fool. He knew the guests in attendance were either trying to stay in the good graces of his father or impress his two older brothers.

Being the third son of the Vinsmoke family held no significance. Sanji could disappear and no one would notice. At least he had his cooking lessons with former castle Chef Zeff while growing up. The secret addition of the old geezer teaching him to fight with his legs was a bonus that Sanji looked forward to each week ever since he was 8 years old. The sparring knowledge particularly came in handy every time he got into yet another argument with that stupid swordsman guard that was the same age as him. Why his dad kept that dumb marimo around was beyond Sanji's comprehension.

It was only recently that Zeff was dismissed from his chef duties at the castle. Sanji tried to hold back the tears as he said goodbye to the old geezer. The only comfort he had was when Zeff told him that he was finally going to open his dream restaurant at sea. _"If you ever get to travel, chibi nasu, make sure to stop by."_ Sanji remembered the old man's words with a frown. _Like I would ever be able to get out of this place._

Sighing, Sanji put on the ridiculous gold mask. At least the gold went well with his dark blue three-piece suit. _Might as well get this damn party over with._

...

The pumpkin-shaped carriage pulled by the suspiciously dressed reindeer finally reached the entrance of Castle Vinsmoke. "Okay Usopp, Chopper, you guys know the plan right?" Nami whispered through the small window at the front of the carriage. "Meet me over at the east end of the castle in two hours. That is where the treasure room is. I will lower down whatever I find, but our big target is the Vinsmoke family crown jewels. When I find that, then I will get out of the castle myself. Just make sure you load up whatever I lower down."

Both accomplices nodded. "I'll keep an eye on the room while you're in there, Nami," Usopp added. "If anyone shows up, leave them to me."

Nami smiled. "I knew I could rely on you, Usopp." She took a breath as one of the Vinsmoke family servants approached the carriage. "Remember," she reminded her friends, "two hours."

Before the servant could reach the handle of the carriage, Usopp jumped down and opened the door. "Ahem, Lady Namiderella of Cocoa Kingdom in East Blue," he announced in a posh, stuffy tone completely different from his usual voice. Nami smirked, trying to stifle a giggle at the ridiculous accent. The Vinsmoke family servant's expression was unchanging as he held out his hand, helping Nami out of the carriage.

As Nami stepped down from the carriage, she thanked the servant and adjusted her pink ball gown. Tossing her orange curls over her shoulder, she straightened her posture, took a deep breath, and put on a black mask. _Here goes nothing._


	2. To the Ball

Walking through the large entrance into the castle, Nami followed the crowd of guests towards the main ballroom. She was grateful that the Vinsmoke family was antisocial enough to not greet each guest at the entrance as they arrived. The inside of the castle was just as dark and gloomy as the outside. The walls, floors, paintings, even the furniture appeared to be shades of either dark grey or black. _What kind of miserable family is this?_ Nami wondered as she was shuffled in with the group of guests filing in.

As the crowd made its way into the ballroom, Nami gasped. The giant hall was a contrast to the rest of the castle she had seen so far. Everything was gold and sparkled with brilliance no matter where one stood. _Damn royalty!_ As much as Nami loved gold, she would never be tacky enough to make an entire room out of it.

There was a large staircase with gold banisters that wound up both walls to a landing above the hall. At the top of the landing, looking down upon the crowd, were four men. Nami assumed that this must have been King Vinsmoke and his three sons. They all looked so serious… except the last son on the right. Although the gold mask hid part of his face, Nami thought she could see a frown.

Distracted by the sad prince of the Vinsmoke family, Nami didn't realize that all of the guests were being announced as they entered the hall. "Lady Nico Robin of Ohara," the announcer called out, "King Monkey D. Luffy originally from East Blue." Nami held her breath as she realized she was next. The servant from earlier informed the announcer of her title. "Lady Namiderella of Cocoa Kingdom," he announced without a pause.

...

Sanji's ears perked up. _Namiderella? What kind of name is Namiderella?_ And he had never heard of a Cocoa Kingdom anywhere in the four seas or the Grand Line. He would know. His father made him memorize all of the important kingdoms and equally important families in the world from a young age. Sanji's older brothers never had to learn this information, but it would have been a grave mistake to question his father's reasons. The other guests and his own family were probably too ignorant to recognize the false information, but Sanji was immediately suspicious. He approached the banister of the landing, trying to focus on the woman just announced.

If it were physically possible without killing him, the prince's heart would have stopped. He felt like a lightning bolt had hit him. A young lady with long orange curls spiraling down her back was in his sight. The black mask fixed to her face couldn't hide her beauty. The design of her pink ball gown was flawless, with a vertically striped bodice and pale pink skirt. It perfectly complemented her ample curves. Sanji noticed a distinct black tattoo on her left shoulder that was partially hidden by the she short sleeves of her gown and her long pink gloves. _Where have I seen that tattoo before?_ He gripped the gold banister as he tried to remember.

Sanji continued to observe the lady as she wandered around the ballroom. She appeared to be unaccompanied, completely unacceptable for such a beautiful woman. Drawn to her, Sanji decided that he needed to introduce himself immediately before any other bastard had the chance to take her. He let go of the banister and made his way to the staircase in a hurry. "Sanji!" His father's low, threatening voice stopped the prince in his tracks. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Excuse me father." Sanji refused to face his family. "I recognized an acquaintance. It would be rude to not greet them." He made the lie up on the spot. Not even his father was going to prevent him from meeting this mysterious woman. He continued down the stairs to the main floor.

...

Nami continued to look at the gold adornments of the ballroom in awe. How could one family waste so much gold on such a ridiculous room? A strange man with bright green hair, fangs, and a large septum ring that you would usually see on a cow halted her thoughts as he leered at her. "Erm… May I help you?"

"What is such a gorgeous treasure like you doing here alone, _da be_?" The man's speech was even more odd than his appearance. His fangs gave him a lisp and he seemed to be gushing with embarrassment. "Would you mind if I have the first dance with you, _da be_?"

Nami was speechless. Usually she would handle strange, lecherous men with a swift knee to the groin. To do so in this setting would most definitely cause a scene, though, and the last thing the thief wanted was to attract attention. Did that mean she was going to have to accept this weirdo's offer? Her stomach turned.

"Ah, darling! There you are!" Suddenly a tall, blond man swooped in next to Nami. Gently taking her hand, he gave an eloquent bow as he kissed the top of her gloved knuckles. As he straightened up, Nami recognized it was the sad Vinsmoke prince that had distracted her earlier. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long." His smile was so gentle, not at all similar to the miserable expressions on the rest of his family. Nami was grateful for the mask she was wearing as she felt a blush spread across her cheeks.

The prince turned to the fang man. "Sir Bartolomeo, I trust you've met my companion for the evening." Nami gave a sideways glance as the prince linked her arm in his. Handsome prince or not, she didn't like how willingly he was helping her.

"Apologies, Prince Sanji, _da be_!" Bartolomeo bowed repeatedly as he was backing up. "I didn't realize that this lady was with you, _da be_!" Then he feigned surprise, "Ah! I think I see King Luffy- _senpai_! Please excuse me, your highness!" The awkward man ran off in a hurry.

Sanji and Nami both watched Bartolomeo scamper off. Nami gave a sly smile as she turned towards the blond man next to her. "Prince Sanji, I presume?" She gave a small curtsy. How lucky to run into one of the members of the family she was about to rob blind.

The prince bowed his head in return. "Sanji Vinsmoke," he introduced himself as he kissed her hand a second time. "I would bow properly, but I don't want to attract the attention of Bartolomeo again. That guy's a creep."

Nami giggled, causing Sanji's heart to flutter. He had never heard such a beautiful sound. The prince remembered his manners. "And you must be Lady Namiderella?"

"Just 'Nami' is fine," she replied and immediately regretted her response. How could she have just given him her real name? The prince's charm was lowering her guard.

"Lady Nami, then," Sanji gave his gentle smile again. "It sounds much more beautiful than Namiderella." He was racking his brain on where he had read the name "Nami" before. It was like her tattoo, familiar but from where? Regardless, the prince found himself unable to let go of her hand.

"So, Mr. Prince," Nami decided to use her own charm and moved in closer, "how can I ever repay you for saving me?" She placed her other hand on top of his and looked up at him through her eyelashes. The thief wasn't known as a master manipulator for nothing.

Sanji was frozen. He could have sworn that a lightning bolt struck him again. The lady in front of him appeared to be looking straight into his heart. She was the sunrise in his cold and dreary world. She was the rainbow after a long storm. She was a single rose amongst a bushel of thorns. She was…

While Sanji's thoughts ran wild with metaphors for her beauty, Nami stared at the prince, waiting for a response. _What the hell happened to him? Did I kill him?_ Just then a waltz started playing from the string quartet led by Soul King Brook. "I know! Why don't you ask for my first dance?" She smiled, hoping that the prince didn't go comatose.

"Huh?" Sanji blinked, then finally began to register that music was playing. "Oh! Lady Nami, may I please have this dance?"

Nami rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, you may." She felt her heartbeat quicken as Sanji's arm came around her waist. _I need to be careful with this one. I can't let his sweetness distract me from my mission._

...

Sanji's father, King Vinsmoke, felt a cold fury burn within him as he watched his youngest son dance with some woman. _That damn fool!_ Didn't Sanji know that Charlotte "Big Mom" Linlin was on her way to the ball as well? _Oh well, let the idiot enjoy his dance. He will hear the announcement soon enough._


	3. The Announcement

As the waltz finished, Sanji had decided that he would spend the entire night by Nami's side… That is until Vice-Captain Tashigi-chan, one of his father's trusted guards, approached the couple. "Prince Sanji, your father has summoned you," she reported. "Please follow me."

Sanji sighed, ready to face whatever lecture he was about to receive from his father. He took Nami's hand, preparing to introduce her to his family. "The King has ordered that you come alone," Tashigi clarified.

The prince was ready to argue, but Nami interrupted him. "It's okay. I'll be fine here. I was going to look for the powder room anyways." The waltz with Sanji had distracted her enough. She needed to find the treasure room quickly if she was going to meet the deadline with Usopp and Chopper.

Sanji frowned a little, but nodded his head. "It should be outside those doors." He pointed towards the East end of the room. _Lucky!_ Nami couldn't help but feel a little guilty seeing the frown on the prince again, though.

As Tashigi led Sanji back up the stairs to the landing, King Vinsmoke began his announcement to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for attending this celebration in honor of my third son, Sanji's birthday." Sanji hung his head in embarrassment as the crowd of attendees cheered. "I would also like to say that this ball is not only in honor of his birthday," the King continued, "but also to announce his betrothal to the 35th daughter of the Charlotte family, Pudding." Sanji froze mid-step on the stairs. **_What?!_**

Nami was about to sneak out of the ballroom when she heard the announcement. "What?!" She turned to look at the King in shock. Prince or not, Sanji Vinsmoke turned out to be just like any other idiot who had ever made a move on her… a complete asshole. The thief tried to ignore the blond man frozen on the stairs who appeared to be as jolted as she was.

...

King Vinsmoke finished his announcement to a commotion of cheers. The string quartet continued its music as guests began dancing again. Sanji stood at the top of the stairs, glaring at his father. His blood boiled to the point that he felt like his body was going to explode in a fiery rage. "Father, what the hell is the meaning of this?!"

The king turned to his youngest son. "Maybe you will think twice before chasing after criminals with a pretty face. Do you even realize who that woman you were dancing with was?" The confusion on Sanji's face was visible through his mask. "She's Cat Burglar Nami."

"C-cat Burglar Nami?!" Sanji approached his father. Of course… That was where he recognized the name and her tattoo. He should have known. He remembered seeing her wanted poster in the newspaper and thinking she was beautiful then. Who would have thought that the real thing would be even more bewitching.

"She's here on a heist, no doubt," Sanji's father continued. "Just another foolish thief attempting to steal the family treasure." Sanji frowned. How could he be so stupid to not see her for what she was. Then again… Her smile was so genuine and her demeanor was sweet. "No matter," the king smirked at his son, "I've put Captain Roronoa on it. He'll hunt her down and kill her before she even gets to the treasure room floor."

"What!" Sanji stared at the man in front of him. The king's cruelty knew no bounds.

"It's no concern of yours. You need to focus on entertaining Pudding and the Charlotte family when they arrive." Just like always, Sanji's father was more concerned with politics than the actual welfare of his family.

 _Tch!_ Sanji wasn't ready to let that stupid marimo kill the cat burglar. It didn't matter if Nami was a thief, Sanji couldn't deny what he felt. Even if it meant betraying his family, the prince refused to let her go. He just hoped that the dumb swordsman's sense of direction was horrible as always.


	4. The Treasure Room

The treasure room had been easy enough to find, especially after studying the castle layout for weeks. Nami was lowering the last of the bags of gold out the window. She felt uneasy though. No matter how many chests and trunks of treasure she went through…

"You couldn't find it in here, huh." A deep voice finished her thoughts. Nami turned around from the window. The light from the hallway created a dark silhouette of a man in the doorway. A spark from a lighter revealed a flash of blond hair.

The thief sighed with relief before remembering that she was supposed to angry with him. "Isn't it un-princely like to smoke, **your highness**." Nami gave an exaggerated curtsy. "What would your betrothed think?" She folded her arms.

The prince ignored her retort. "You couldn't find what you were looking for in here, right?" He closed the door behind him. Nami's eyes took a minute to adjust to the darkness. When she could see again, the prince was standing right in front of her. The thief was about to scream out, but Sanji covered her mouth. At that moment, he noticed an object firing at them through the open window. "Look out!" He pulled Nami against his chest and fell to the floor as the object grazed his arm. The projectile lodged deeply into the wooden door. Sanji could see it was a small metal ball with spikes. "What the hell was that?"

"Of all the times to finally miss his target," Nami sighed from underneath the prince, "I'm glad that it was now." She winced in pain from being pushed to the stone floor, but she was grateful that both of them escaped unharmed by Usopp's attack… or so she thought. Her hand touched Sanji's right arm to push him off of her, but she stopped when she noticed a warm wetness. _Blood?_ She gasped, "Sanji, you're bleeding!"

"It's okay. It just grazed me." He looked at his arm. "More importantly," he turned his attention back to Nami, "are you hurt? Did it hit you?" He looked over her body, touching her left arm, and then cupping her face with his right hand.

Sanji couldn't stop staring at her. In the bright moonlight coming through the window, he could see that she was no longer wearing her mask. Large brown eyes were staring back at him. Such an angelic creature couldn't be that evil, right?

Nami had difficulty taking her gaze off the prince. His blue eyes were mesmerizing. Like her, he was no longer wearing his mask and the thief couldn't help noticing how handsome he was. Even his strange curly eyebrow was cute, which she felt compelled to trace with her finger. She quickly shook the thought out of her head.

"I'm fine," she finally responded, curtly. She pushed Sanji off of her and sat up. Giving a quick thumbs up to signal Usopp to stop firing, Nami then removed her left glove. It was already partly bloody from touching the prince's wound. She quickly wrapped it around his right arm to stop the bleeding. "So," she finished tying the makeshift bandage into a secure knot, "did you come to stop me?"

"…No." Sanji was stunned. Although the thief sounded angry, her gesture of tending to his wound was so kind. "I came to make sure you were okay. My father sent one of his guards to hunt you down after he recognized you." Nami's eyes went wide in fear. "Don't worry, though," the prince tried to reassure her. "That guard has the worst sense of direction."

"This is bad." Nami could feel her anxiety rising. "What if he finds my friends?" She looked back to the prince. "Why are you helping me? Do you plan on turning me in?"

"I already told you, no." He ran his fingers through his blond hair and sighed. "I can help you find the crown jewels." Nami looked at him suspiciously.

"People don't usually assist others unless there's something they want." The thief was speaking from experience. What could a rich, sad prince possibly want from her? "What do you want in return?"

His expression turned earnest and Sanji looked her directly in the eyes. "You," he answered. Nami flinched. That was a bit too honest. "I mean, take me with you… please." The prince looked down at the stone floor in embarrassment. "The whole engagement thing… When my father announced it, that was the first time I heard it." He continued, "I'm tired of being locked up in this gloomy castle. I want freedom."

Nami tried to calm the strange fluttering in her chest. "What would I need a prince for?" Logic was always a good way to reign in her imagination.

"I can cook," Sanji offered. "I've been learning since I was 8-years-old." He looked at her hopefully.

"Even if you can cook," Nami was still trying to rule out the possibility of taking him in, "I don't need to waste my time babysitting some little prince." _Don't let him charm you!_ She kept repeating the mantra in her mind.

Sensing the thief's reservations dissolving, a smile formed on Sanji's lips. "I can also fight," he revealed as he crawled closer to her. "I've been learning that since I was eight as well." Reaching out, he slowly pulled her towards him.

"Smoking **and** fighting?" Nami could feel her heart pounding. There was no way she would be able to shake this guy. She was falling for him hard. "That's not very princely behavior."

"Maybe I'm not very princely to begin with," Sanji whispered as he leaned in to kiss her. They were abruptly interrupted by a loud thud outside the door. Both of them jumped up, ready to attack if the door opened.

"Damnit! Not another dead end!" They heard a gruff voice accompanied by another loud thud. "Why do they keep changing the damn treasure room?" Sanji straightened up and brought his palm to his forehead. _That stupid marimo… He couldn't find his way out of a room with one exit._

Nami noticed the prince relax. They waited until they heard the person outside the room wander off again. "Was that…" the thief whispered when she felt it was safe to.

"Yeah..." Sanji lit another cigarette. "Captain dumbass." Nami giggled at his response. The sad little prince was turning out to be **very** un-princely.

...

After much suspicion on her part, Nami agreed to follow Sanji to his room. The prince explained that the Vinsmoke family crown jewels were locked in the tallest tower of the castle, which happened to be adjacent to his room. After entering the room, Sanji quietly closed the chamber door behind them.

Nami tried to conceal her awe. Sanji's bedroom was the size of the house she grew up in. She stared at the wall comprised entirely of a bookshelf filled with books. Sanji noticed her expression as he filled a travel bag with clothes and personal belongings. "If you want to take one, now is the time to do it," he offered. The thief blinked and shook her head "no" in reply.

"Alright," Sanji finished packing his bag, "now on to the secret passage." He led Nami into a small changing room filled with clothes. The prince was about to pull one of the hooks on the wall when they heard a knocking at the door. They both held their breath, but the knocking came again. "Wait here," Sanji whispered to Nami as he went back into the main chamber.

"Oi, Prince Eyebrows! You awake?" Sanji sighed as he recognized the gruff voice again. He put on a robe and messed up his hair to appear like he had been sleeping. He then opened the door slightly.

"What do you want, marimo? I was sleeping." Sanji squinted at Zoro.

"That's 'Captain' to you." The green-haired swordsman corrected him. He couldn't stand the stupid emotional prince and how he always seemed to mope around the castle.

"Fine, fine, **Captain** marimo." Sanji waived his hand like he was shooing away a fly. "What do you want?"

"Your dad said that Cat Burglar Nami is in the castle. He sent me to hunt her down." Captain Zoro folded his arms. "He said that you were with her earlier at the ball."

"Yeah, so… Was this worth waking me up?" Sanji feigned annoyance. Despite the swordsman being dumb and having no sense of direction, he was actually good at piecing together plots that threatened the Vinsmoke family. This was probably why Sanji's dad had kept him around for so long.

"The king also said that she is probably after the family crown. You know how weak you are against women," Zoro continued. The sentence piqued Nami's interest. _What did he mean by "weak against women"?_

The expression on Sanji's face was no longer feigned, but actual annoyance. "No, marimo, I have not seen her. If you want to know the truth, I was heartbroken when I found out she was Cat Burglar Nami." Sanji pulled the emo card. He knew that Zoro hated the emo card. "That's why I came up here and went to sleep. I don't know how my life will be able to go on knowing that such a beautiful creature…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever! I get it!" Zoro cut him off. "I'll go find her on my own!" He walked away, grumbling, "stupid emo prince!" Sanji grinned as he closed the chamber door and locked it. _Stupid marimo._

The prince was still smiling as he removed the robe and walked back into the changing room where he left Nami. "Sorry, I didn't think that asshole would ever lea…" Sanji froze mid-sentence when he realized that the cat burglar had already pulled the hook leading to the tower. _Shit!_


	5. The Tallest Tower

The tallest tower in the Vinsmoke castle had a large corridor with a winding staircase that led to a secret treasure room at the top. In that treasure room is where the Vinsmoke family crown jewels would be… or at least that is what the prince had told Nami. She was currently running up the stairs to see if he was telling the truth.

...

When Sanji saw that the passage to the tower was open, his heart dropped. Had the cat burglar been using him? Well, he couldn't exactly say that he wasn't aware of the risk he was taking when he offered to help her. He didn't fear losing the crown jewels or facing his father. No, the prince's biggest fear was being unable to see Nami again.

Peering into the passage, Sanji noticed a pale pink piece of cloth at the bottom of the stairs. He walked up to see it was a long woman's glove. It matched the one wrapped around his right arm. In the still quiet of the stairwell, the prince could hear footsteps faintly running up to the secret treasure room. He grinned. She hadn't made it to the top yet.

...

Nami cursed the glass slipper heels she was wearing. Despite being cute, they provided no comfort at all. They definitely were not supportive while running up the stone stairwell. The thief tripped a little and noticed that she lost her right slipper. She couldn't stop for it though. She had to continue to the top of the tower.

...

Sanji skywalked up the stairwell in an attempt to catch up with Nami. He stopped when he saw a clear object on the stairs up ahead. He picked up the glass heel. A few more stairs up he found the left. The footsteps were closer now, but they still continued upwards. The prince put the glass slippers in his bag and continued up the stairs on foot.

...

At the top of the stairs, Nami reached the hatch leading into the secret treasure room. She was about to push the hatch open when a hand gently grabbed her right wrist. Sanji was behind her. _How did he get here so quickly?_ She was about to yell at him when he covered her mouth with his left hand.

"Shhh…" he whispered in her ear. He was staring at the hatch as if he could see into the room. "Someone is already in there. We may have run into a trap." He slowly released her mouth.

"What do you mean? How do you know?" She looked at him. His face was so close. _This isn't the time to think about that!_ "Is there another way into the room?"

"No." The prince was squinting in an attempt to see who the strong aura in the treasure room was. "The only other way in is a single window, but it's so high up, no one would be able to…" Sanji's voice caught in his throat. "Captain Smoker!"

Nami had heard that name when she was doing research on the Vinsmoke family. "Your father's personal bodyguard? How would he be able to get in there without taking the stairwell?"

"The guy can turn into smoke. Dad may have sent him up here when marimo had trouble finding you." He looked the cat burglar in the eyes, "Are you sure you still want to do this?" Nami nodded without hesitation. Sanji smiled at her response. "Then, as long as you promise not to run anymore, you can leave this to me."

"I-I wasn't…" Nami didn't know how to explain why she went ahead into the passage. She wasn't really running from Sanji. The guard sounded suspicious of the prince, which scared her. After years of being a thief, she learned to trust her instincts and at that moment in the changing room, her instincts told her to run.

"You can explain later." Sanji quickly kissed her cheek. Nami didn't have a mask to hide behind when she blushed this time. The prince started pushing on some of the wooden boards above them. "For now, you need to hide."


	6. The Secret Room

Sitting in a chair by the window of the secret treasure room was Captain Smoker, puffing away on two cigars. How long had he been working for King Vinsmoke? In all those years, this had to be the most boring assignment he had ever received. He was the king's personal bodyguard. Why was he sent to take care of some low-life thief? She didn't even have that high of a bounty. Smoker sighed as he rested his head on his left hand. "I wonder what Tashigi is up to?"

The hatch started to jiggle, making Smoker jump up from his seat. He picked up his jitte, ready to strike whomever came through the entrance. The hatch opened and he sprang towards it in a billow of white smoke. A mop of blond hair stopped the captain. "Whoa! Hold on there, Smoker!"

"Prince Sanji!" The king's bodyguard quickly kneeled in front of his employer's son and then returned to his feet. Sanji always thought Captain Smoker was a bit too formal. "What are you doing up here?"

"Captain mar-uh… Zoro informed me that Cat Burglar Nami might have been attempting to steal the crown jewels." Sanji looked over to the case containing the riches. "I wanted to make sure that the family treasure was still here."

Smoker sighed again, securing his jitte in the holster on his back. "Yeah, it's still here." The one moment of action he thought he was going to see, and it just ended up being one of the spoiled brats.

"No offense, Captain Smoker, but," Sanji strolled around the small circular room, "isn't this work a bit below you?" He lit a cigarette. Although Smoker appeared to have two cigars permanently attached to his mouth, the prince knew the captain didn't like when he smoked. It wasn't "proper" behavior for a prince.

"What are you trying to get at, your highness." Smoker was frustrated. Of the three snot-nosed princes, the captain found Sanji the most irritating. He was always so easily distracted by women, and Smoker didn't like how the prince behaved around Tashigi.

"Nothing," Sanji replied. He sat down in the chair by the window previously occupied by Smoker and stretched out his long legs. "I just think you would be more useful by my father's side than sitting up here waiting for some cat burglar to show." The prince flicked some ashes out the window. "I can handle things up here. The passageway is connected to my room after all."

"Prince Sanji, everyone knows how weak you are against women." Smoker looked down on the little prince. Nami was listening to the conversation through the floorboards. There it was again. Another person had said Sanji was weak against women.

Sanji ignored Captain Smoker's condescending tone. "Well, I can at least stay here until you order the dumb swor… um… Captain Zoro up here." He watched the smoke from his cigarette float out into the night sky. _Take the bait, you smokey bastard!_

"Fine," Smoker finally agreed. He hated the prince being right, but he also didn't want to spend the night in this stupid tower. Better that little punk Roronoa handle it than him. It was originally his responsibility anyways. "I'll send Captain Zoro up right away."

Smoker started turning to smoke and headed for the window. "You're not going to take the stairs?" Sanji tried to contain his excitement. His plan was working perfectly.

"I don't like going through your room, Prince Sanji." Smoker's eyes were dead serious. The less he knew about the prince, the better. "Besides, it's faster this way." The captain was gone in a blink.

The prince looked around outside the window just to make sure. There wasn't a trace of smoke, aside from the small trail coming from his cigarette before he extinguished it. When it was all clear, he quickly made his way to one of the floorboards on the side of the room. Sanji gave the board a quick kick, knocking it out of place. He removed the floorboard, then looked down into the small crawl space between the treasure room floor and the top of the stairwell. "Are you alright, Miss Nami?"

The bag of Sanji's belongings came out first. Next came a slender hand, which the prince gladly took. "I hope your dress didn't get too dirty," Sanji kissed her hand as he helped the lady out of the crawlspace.

Nami brushed off her dress and adjusted her bodice after being helped out through the small opening. "A bit dusty, but I'm fine." She watched Sanji replace the floorboard. "How did you know about that space?"

"I used to hide in there as a kid. No one was ever able to find me." He got up from the floor and brushed the dust off his knees. "We should probably hurry. Captain moss-head may have a poor sense of direction, but he was able to find my room earlier. That means that he'll definitely be able to find this place."

When Sanji turned around, Nami was examining the crown in the display case. The case was mounted into the stonewall and there were no visible locks. She ran her fingers along the edge of the glass, looking for an opening. "Do you know how to open it?" She questioned the prince after failing to find a way into the case.

"Promise you won't be disappointed?" Sanji counted six stone bricks down from the display case and pressed on the square. The stone pushed inwards and then popped open to reveal a small compartment. The prince pulled out a key from the hiding space.

"Th-That's absurd!" Nami stared at the key. She didn't even notice a difference between the fake stone and the real ones. "So, where's the lock?" The thief counted six stone bricks above the display case and tried pressing the square. Like the hidden compartment that contained the key, the stone pushed inwards then popped open to reveal a built-in lock. "It worked!"

Sanji was impressed with the cat burglar. She figured it out. "You are definitely **not** just another pretty face, Lady Nami." He handed her the key.

 _A pretty face?_ Nami frowned as she took the key. Something was nagging at her. "Hey, Sanji," she placed the key in the lock and turned. "What did Smoker and Zoro mean when they said you were 'weak against women'?"

The lock clicked and the glass case came open, but neither the thief nor the prince paid much attention. Nami had a solemn expression as she waited for an answer. "If you have a weakness for women, how do I know if I can trust you?" She didn't need a liability in her group that would threaten the safety of her friends.

Even when she was serious, Sanji was completely infatuated with the thief. He knew he would never be able to lie to her. Those brown eyes could see right through him. The prince let out a heavy sigh. "I can't fight women," he finally admitted.

Nami was puzzled. "You can't fight women?" She was offended. Men had underestimated her before just because of her sex. "What do you mean you can't fight women? Do you think we're weak? Are we 'too delicate' for you?"

"No," the prince replied as he looked off to the side. He couldn't look her in the eye. "I've been beaten up by enough women to know they're not weak."

"So why won't you fight women then?!" Nami heard her own voice rising in anger. Frustrated, she pulled up the skirt of her dress to the garter wrapped around her right thigh.

"Whoa, whoa! What are you doing?!" Sanji tightly closed his eyes and turned away quickly. He felt a nosebleed coming on. Seeing the cat burglar's legs nearly killed him.

Pulling her sorcery clima-tact out of her garter, Nami quickly assembled the three pieces. This asshole needed to be taught a lesson. "Alright, you condescending bastard!" The thief backed up into a fighting stance. "Fight me!"

"What?!" The prince's eyes flew open in shock. He turned back just in time to see Nami running at him. Her clima-tact was swinging right for his head. Sanji quickly ducked down, dodging the attack as the pole flew above his head. If the blow had landed, it would have definitely caused a concussion. He sprang back up on the thief's right side. "Nami, what the hell are you doing?!"

Gritting her teeth, the cat burglar swung back towards the prince. "I said fight me, you jerk!" This time Sanji couldn't avoid the weapon. The small circular room left little space to maneuver in. Thinking quickly, he sprang back on his hands and deflected the clima-tact with his right foot.

Displaying his agility, the prince landed softly on his feet. "I can't fight you, Nami," he stated as he put another cigarette in his mouth. His voice was calm, despite the craziness of the situation.

"You can't, or won't?" Nami slyly smiled as she looked up. Sanji followed her gaze upwards and noticed thunderclouds above him… in the tower? "Thunder trap!" The cat burglar swung her clima-tact downwards.

"Holy shit!" The prince dove out of the way as he saw lightning striking down straight towards him. The cigarette that fell out of his mouth was incinerated on the spot. "What the hell was that?!" Sanji looked back to where the lightning hit and noticed the wooden floorboard starting to spark. He quickly got up and stamped out the embers as he stared at the thief. "Are you trying to start a fucking fire?! We're in a tower!"

Nami was indifferent. If a fire had started, she knew she could make rain to put it out. She rested on the weapon in her right hand. "You should learn to take women more seriously."

"I **do** take women seriously." The blond man sighed. He finished smothering the would-be fire. "I just physically **cannot** fight them."

"Why?" The thief wasn't satisfied with his answer. She wouldn't give up until he gave her a justifiable reason. There was no way in hell Nami was taking the prince with her if he just refused to fight women for no reason.

"It's been beaten into me since I was a kid." Sanji built up the courage and made eye contact with her. The sincerity in his expression made Nami gasp. "Even if I die, I will never kick a woman."

* * *

 _AN: The six stones down and six stones up is a reference to Germa 66... Just in case anyone was wondering. ^^ I was trying to think of what number to make it that would still be somewhat significant to the Vinsmoke family._


	7. The Escape Plan

"So, you really can't fight women." Nami stared at the prince. "It's not that you're just sweet towards them… or being an ass?"

"If a woman tries to fight me, all I can do is dodge." He sighed in frustration. His hands were balled up into fists at his sides. "I will never attack a woman. That is how I was raised. That is how I was conditioned."

"Like a dog," the thief added. Sanji's eyes flew up to meet hers only to see that she was sticking her tongue out at him. He finally laughed. "I understand now. You can't fight women." Nami smiled at him. "Not even me."

"Especially not you." The prince approached her cautiously. He didn't want to incur the wrath of the weather goddess he saw a minute ago. "I hope that's acceptable."

"As long as you don't allow it to threaten the safety of my friends and I, then it's fine." Nami sighed and turned towards the glass display case. "Well, now that we've established that, how about these crown jewels?"

…

Minutes later, Sanji and Nami were stuffing the last of the crown jewels into the bag the prince had with him. Among the treasure, Sanji saw a diamond ring he wanted to keep separate. He quickly put it in his pocket. "Did you have a plan on how you were going to get out of the castle after you stole these," he asked the thief.

"Ummm…. No," the orange-haired woman sounded a bit nervous. "That was the only part I didn't plan because I didn't know if the crown jewels would be in with the rest of the treasure or not." She looked to her partner in crime. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Maybe we can go down to my room and sneak out through one of the windows there. At least it would be less of a climb down than from up here." Just as he finished his sentence, a concerned look came across Sanji's face and sweat formed on his brow. "That's impossible! I locked the door!"

Nami immediately noticed his reaction. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"That dumb swordsman." The prince turned towards her in disbelief. "He's already in the stairwell. He's on his way up here."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then both scrambled towards the open window. "What side of the castle is this window facing out of?" Nami looked out and down. There was forest all around. The window was so high up that she couldn't see the ground below.

"I think this is the East side but the tower itself is the Northeast corner of the castle." Sanji looked down. The castle wall would be a difficult climb, something he didn't want to risk with Nami. He considered using skywalk, but he wasn't sure it would be safely possible at this height with an extra person.

"Wait a minute!" Nami looked down towards the South end of the castle. "If this is the East side, then hopefully…" She let out a bird-like whistle towards the trees facing the castle.

There was a flash of moonlight reflected from a mirror within the trees. Nami jumped up and down with excitement. "Yay! He's still there!" She hugged Sanji with joy before turning back to the window and waving to her friend.

The prince was paralyzed with elation. _She hugged me! Wait…_ He finally realized what his companion said. "'He'? Who's 'he'?"

"Usopp!" Nami explained with a giant smile. "He has a bunch of different plant species he uses as ammo. I'm sure there's probably a vine or something that can help us get down from here!"

"Wait, is that the guy that shot me earlier?" Sanji touched the long glove tied around his right arm. He felt a little jealous at how excited the thief was to see her friend.

"Only because he thought you were attacking me." Nami grinned at the prince. "If Usopp is still there, then Chopper should still be around as well." She tried looking down but still couldn't see anything below. Suddenly, a series of projectiles hit the outside of the tower and large fan-like branches sprang out from the wall leading downwards.

"That's our exit!" Nami pulled on Sanji's arm. "Let's go!" He wouldn't budge though. The prince was staring at the hatch in the floor. The look on his face frightened the thief. "What's wrong?"

"He's almost here." The prince revealed in a hushed voice. He turned to Nami. "You have to get out of here. If we both try going now, he'll catch up to us or warn the other guards to meet us at the bottom. You go ahead. I'll stall the moss-head."

"How?" The thief couldn't take her eyes off the hatch. Fear gripped her heart. From what she knew of Captain Zoro, he carried three swords, was ruthless, and incredibly strong.

"We'll make it look like you used me to get the crown jewels." Sanji gave his bag to the cat burglar. "You have to knock me out. That'll stall him."

"What?!" Nami gaped at the prince. "Why would that stall him?"

"I don't know. I just know that he would tend to me first rather than following after you… I think that guy's got a crush on me or something," Sanji muttered. Nami covered her mouth to muffle her laughter.

He smiled at her. "Nami…" Sanji embraced the thief, cradling her head to his chest. "You have to hurry. Use your weapon or something to knock me unconscious and then run."

Nami frowned. It wasn't fair. The prince didn't accompany her all this way just for her to leave him behind. Then she remembered something. "Wait! I have a better idea!" The thief pushed away and reached into her cleavage. Sanji felt another nosebleed coming. She pulled out a small vial of liquid. "This was made from the same type of plant that Usopp uses for his sleeping stars. If you can get him to smell this, then he'll go straight to sleep and you can meet me at the bottom of the tower." She put the vial in the prince's hands.

Sanji looked at the vial. This was a better idea by far, but how would he get moss-head to smell it? He looked to his companion. "Okay, I'll try to think of something. You go on ahead. I'll meet you down there." He began to help the thief out the window.

"Ah, wait Nami!" The prince reached into his pocket and pulled out the diamond ring. "This was my mother's ring. Can you please keep it safe until I get down there?"

Nami examined the ring. It was much more understated than the rest of the treasure she came across in Castle Vinsmoke. It was just a single diamond surrounded by a delicate spiral of white gold. Sanji's mother must have had simplistic taste. Nothing at all like the gaudy gold ballroom Nami saw earlier. She put the ring on her right ring finger. "I'll take good care of it. You better come get it back though."

"I promise I will." The prince smiled at her. He helped his companion onto the highest branch of the fan plants right outside the window. "Now get going. I'll meet you at the bottom."

The prince was about to let go of her left hand when Nami stopped him. "Wait!" She pulled him close. Reaching up with her other hand and grabbing him by the back of the neck, she brought her lips to his with a passionate kiss. Sanji had to grip the stone window frame to steady himself; he felt like he would pass out at any moment. All too briefly for the prince, the thief pulled her lips away from his and smiled. "Good luck," she whispered and then began climbing down the fan branches along the tower wall.

Unable to move, Sanji stood at the window, still gripping the stone frame. He would never be able to see any other woman in the world now. Nami had stolen his heart and he was completely devoted to her. The sound of footsteps slowly approaching the hatch broke his stupor. He still needed to drug marimo before he could make his get away… but how?

The prince remembered the other long pink glove he had picked up at the bottom of the stairwell. He reached inside the breast pocket lining his suit jacket and pulled out the pink fabric. Quickly emptying the liquid from the vial onto the folded up glove, Sanji lay down on the floor, pretending to be unconscious. All he had to do was wait for the right moment.


	8. The Encounter

Captain Roronoa Zoro finally made his way to the top of the stairwell. After Smoker told him to go take over watch duty from Prince Eyebrows in the room with the crown jewels, Zoro deliberately took his time getting to the tallest tower of the castle. He didn't really want to get in trouble with the king, but the thought of having to sit in a tower waiting for a thief to come to him sounded boring. It also seemed pointless after running around the castle all night looking for her.

Now he had to prepare for interacting with the stupid emo prince. The two of them practically grew up together, but it would be a stretch to call them friends. Zoro was brought to the castle with his teacher when he was 10-years-old in order to be trained as a guard. The king had hoped that Zoro would take on bodyguard duty for his youngest son, who was the same age. Considering that the prince and the guard-in-training not only hated each other from the beginning, but they also took every opportunity to fight with each other, that idea was soon scrapped. It was for the better anyways. The swordsman would rather be impaled than have to protect that asshole.

With a sigh, Zoro pushed the hatch open and entered the room. "Alright darts, I made it. You can go back to your crying somewhere else." He looked around the room with his one good eye. "What the hell happened here?"

The display case had been opened and its contents emptied. The prince was on the floor either dead or unconscious… Zoro was hoping dead. There was a pink fabric in the prince's hand, possibly belonging to the cat burglar. There was also a large burn mark on the floor, almost like it had been hit by lightning. The swordsman rested his right hand on Shusui, the national treasure of Wano Kingdom, ready to unsheathe it if needed.

First he checked on the prince. Holding the back of his left hand under the other man's nose, he waited a few seconds. _Damnit! Still breathing._ Next Zoro went to the window. Peering out, he saw a large growth of plants coming out of the castle wall. _Were those always there?_

…

 _Took you long enough, marimo._ Sanji could sense that the swordsman was at the window. He hoped that Nami made it far enough down the castle wall that moss-head couldn't see her. With the idiot looking out the window, the prince feared that he would easily be thrown out the window if he tried to attack. He had to wait.

…

It was most likely the thief escaped out the window after knocking out the dumbass prince. If that was the case, Zoro needed to alert the other guards immediately and inform them to capture the woman at the bottom of the tower. _Damn, I shouldn't have taken so much time getting here._ He only hoped that if he were too late in catching the thief, he wouldn't be reprimanded for it… not that it would matter much by tomorrow anyways. _I tried to warn curlybrows against taking her on._

…

As Zoro made his way back towards the open hatch, Sanji sprang up and jumped on his back. The prince had the folded glove with the sleep elixir on it in his left hand. Although he successfully grabbed hold of the swordsman with his right arm, Zoro caught his left wrist before the glove could serve its purpose.

"What are you trying to do, eyebrows?" The green haired man could see the pink fabric inches away from his face. He had a firm grip on the prince's left wrist with his left hand and was ready to break it if necessary. His right hand held on to Sanji's right arm to prevent the other man from being able to choke him. "The lady thief got her hooks in you, didn't she. Do you really think she's going to wait for you?"

"Shut up and go the fuck to sleep, marimo!" Sanji gritted his teeth and held on, trying to gag the swordsman. Although the prince was strong, he knew that Zoro had him beat in muscle mass. That didn't matter though as far as he was concerned. Where he was leaner than the swordsman in brawn, he more than made up for it in intelligence.

This was going to be a deadlock if one of them didn't make a move soon. Zoro decided to run backwards into the nearest stonewall in an attempt to take out the prince. Sanji felt the air get crushed out of his lungs as his back collided with the wall. The force of the impact caused him to drop the glove. "Had enough yet, little prince?" The swordsman heard the other man try to catch his breath.

"Why? Are you ready to give up?" Sanji taunted his opponent but he knew another blow like that would put him at a disadvantage. Having the wind knocked out of him was not how he expected this to go. He needed to be prepared if Zoro tried the same move again.

As the prince anticipated, the swordsman tried to run backwards into the wall a second time. This time, Sanji kicked his legs up as the wall came towards his back. Running backwards up the wall, he flipped above the moss-head. Zoro collided backwards into the stonewall at full force but still had a grip on the prince's arm and wrist. Sanji felt like his arms were going to break. He needed to do something quick. "Put your guard up, marimo!"

Zoro looked up to see the prince's right leg coming straight down towards his head. He released his grip on the wrist and arm so that he could block the kick coming down from above. With his arms free, Sanji tucked into a somersault and stood up at the other end of the small room with his back to his opponent. He lit a cigarette, thankful to have both arms intact.

"Ho-! So that's how you want to play now," the swordsman goaded. Suddenly the prince heard the distinct sound of a katana being unsheathed. _Shit!_ Sanji turned around to see that Zoro had Shusui in his left hand.

"Put the sword away, moss-head. There's not enough room in here for you to attack with that." The prince wasn't really looking for a fight. He needed to knock out the dumbass swordsman so that he could get out of the tower and back to Nami.

"You want to test that theory, eyebrows?" Sanji knew that Zoro was trying to provoke him. Fighting was getting him nowhere. The prince had to defuse the situation. Zoro closed his eye and raised his katana above his head. "Ittoryu…"

" **Stop marimo!** " Sanji ran up to the swordsman. Spinning on his right foot, the prince used his left foot to block Zoro from continuing the attack. "I don't have time for this," he explained.

The look Zoro gave him was murderous. "Get your fucking foot off of my hands." His tone was equally murderous. The prince paid no mind. Anyone else would be terrified.

"Only if you put the sword back in its sheath." Sanji tried to keep his tone calm. Both men looked each other in the eye and then nodded in agreement. The prince withdrew his left foot and the swordsman returned Shusui to its sheath. "Thank you," the blond man added without a trace of sarcasm.

"You're the one that attacked first." Zoro folded his arms. "So, what the hell is this about, curlybrow? Why did you assist a thief?"

"She's not just a thief, marimo." Sanji tried to ignore hmph sound from the swordsman. "Not that I expect you to understand, but Nami has offered me two things that I've never had in my 21 years at this stupid castle."

The green haired man made a disgusted face. "Oh please! If you say one of those is something sappy like 'love', I swear I'm going to throw up all over those fancy shoes of yours!"

In an attempt to save his shoes, the prince reconsidered his explanation. "Fine. She's offered me something else. Freedom." The moss-head looked confused. "Like I said," Sanji continued, "I don't expect you to understand, but think about it. You can leave here whenever you want. What do you think awaits me if I stay here?"

"A marriage to Pudding and having Big Mom for a mother-in-law?" Zoro took a wild guess. He didn't really care either way, but he figured it would be best to indulge the prince.

"A loveless marriage and continuing a life where I don't get to make any decisions for myself," Sanji added. He looked down at the floor. Would marimo even let them get away?

"And what about the cat burglar?" Zoro questioned. "She's known to be manipulative. How do you know she won't betray you?"

"I don't think she would." Sanji ignored another hmph sound from the swordsman. "Even if she did, at least I could say that it was my mistake."

Zoro appeared to be considering what was said. He nodded as if he came to a decision. "So what was on the glove?"

"It's a sleep elixir," Sanji explained. "I planned on knocking you out so that you wouldn't warn the rest of the guards. That way Nami and I could safely get away."

The swordsman nodded again. "Alright eyebrows," he finally said. "I'll tell you what. I'm feeling generous today. I'll let you and the lady thief go on two conditions. One, you are both gone by the time I wake up from that sleep elixir."

Sanji couldn't believe his ears. Marimo was actually going to let them go? He tried to not get his hopes up. This was moss-head making the stipulations. "What is your second condition?"

"That you survive the fall." The prince didn't have time to ponder what the swordsman meant. Zoro picked him up by the collar.

As he was being dragged to the window, Sanji finally realized what the swordsman was talking about. "No, no, no, no! Wait!"

Zoro threw the prince out the window. "Good luck, Prince Eyebrows! Don't die!"

Sanji went flying out the window just as he was cursing the swordsman. "I hate you, you shitty marimooooooooo!"

Laughing as he heard the prince crashing through plants on the way down, Zoro picked up the pink glove and sat in the only chair in the room. Letting eyebrows and the thief get away was something that would get him fired for sure. It was a good thing he had turned in his resignation a few hours ago. King Luffy had offered the swordsman a job as being his personal bodyguard and captain of the guard. That guy wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

"Oh well," Zoro looked at the pink glove. "I needed a nap anyways." He sniffed the fabric and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

 _AN: I just wanted to say thank you for following the story so far. I hope no one was offended with the light-hearted jab at ZoSan in the last chapter. ^^ SanNami has always been my ship. Whether you support ZoSan or not, I hope you got a laugh out of it. That was its only intention. Obviously (at least to me) after reading this chapter, Zoro doesn't have a crush on Sanji in this story, but everything depends on how you interpret it._


	9. In the Brush

Several minutes earlier…

Nami made her way down the tower wall thanks to Usopp and the large fan branches. It was to her advantage that she lost her glass slippers when she did. Climbing in a ball gown while carrying a bag full of treasure and the prince's belongings was difficult enough. She couldn't imagine trying to climb down in heels.

Although the branches assisted her descent, the slow pace unfortunately provided Nami with a bit too much time to think. The kiss she shared with Sanji kept replaying in her mind. Did she do the right thing? It felt right at the time but what if the prince didn't agree? He didn't say anything before she left. He didn't even move.

What if he thought she was too brash and unladylike… not that she was really a "Lady" in noble terms. The prince said he wanted freedom, so much so that he was willing to give up his own nobility and betray his family. If Sanji were weak against women, would he eventually betray her for someone else?

Nami tried to shake those thoughts from her mind. She was not the jealous type. Yet, she also had never felt so hung up on someone before. The cat burglar was logical enough to know that it was too early to be called "love" yet. They had only met a few hours ago, but she couldn't deny her feelings.

How was the thief going to inform her friends that she recruited another member to their group? Would they accept him? Not that it would change her decision either way. She just preferred when there was no conflict. _Maybe if I tell them that he can cook…_

"Namiiiii!" The thief looked down when she heard her name. She was nearing the bottom of the tower. Chopper was standing on the ground below in his usual cute form, waving his hooves up at her.

"Chopper! Where's the carriage? Where's Usopp?" Nami was excited to rejoin her friends. They had been successful in getting the treasure, but the most difficult part was coming up: The get away. The mission couldn't be called a complete success until they were able to safely get away from the castle without getting caught.

"Both the carriage and Usopp are hiding in the brush and trees over there." The little reindeer pointed towards a growth of plants that may or may not have been generated by their sniper. "We've got to hurry," the doctor informed his friend. "Usopp said there was activity in the treasure room a few minutes ago. The guards have finally realized that it's been emptied."

"What?!" Nami could hear her heart starting to pound. She looked up towards the secret room at the top of the tower, but she could only make out a bit of light through the fan branches lining the wall. The thief needed to get down. "Chopper, can you catch this?" She held up the bag with the crown jewels.

"Leave it to me, Nami! Heavy point!" The reindeer grew to his muscle form. "Go ahead and drop it!"

Nami threw the bag down to her partner. Chopper easily caught the bag and placed it on the ground. "You can jump down, too, Nami!" He held his arms out, ready to catch her. The thief took the reindeer up on his offer and was caught just as easily as the bag. After placing her on the ground, Chopper shrunk back down to his usual form. "What happened to your shoes?"

"I lost them on the stairs." Nami picked up the bag and followed Chopper through the brush. The thief regretted not having her shoes now. The forest floor was full of sharp twigs.

Through the bushes, the carriage came into view and Nami realized that the brush was just camouflage. Usopp was excited to see her. "Nami! Thank goodness! Now we can get out of here!"

The cat burglar opened the carriage door to put the last bag inside. Half of the pumpkin carriage was full of bags of treasure. Thankfully, Usopp and Chopper left the other side open for Nami to sit on. She placed the bag on that side. "We can't leave yet," she stated.

"Whaaaaaaat?!" Usopp and Chopper exclaimed in unison. "What do you mean we can't leave yet, Nami?" The sniper's cowardice was beginning to show. "We got the treasure. You made it out with the crown jewels. What else are we waiting for?"

"We're missing someone," Nami explained. She walked towards the front of the carriage to join her companions. Looking up at the window of the tallest tower, she whispered, "Come on, Sanji."

"Did you say 'Sanji'?" Chopper's keen hearing rarely missed anything. Nami turned to the reindeer with a blush.

"Sanji?" Usopp looked at the thief's reaction. "As in Sanji Vinsmoke? **Prince** Sanji Vinsmoke?!" The sniper put his head in his hands. "This is bad. This is **so** bad."

"Nami, how could you kidnap the prince?" Chopper looked at her with his big round eyes. The cat burglar began to feel guilty.

"Yeah, Nami! It's not like we're going to need more money after stealing all of this treasure **and** the crown jewels from the Vinsmoke family. You had to go and kidnap the youngest son as well?!" Usopp was incredulous with his partner's actions.

"Would you both stop!" Nami was irritated. "If I kidnapped him, then he would already be here, right?" Her partners stopped to think about her words. She did have a point.

The thief looked back up to the window. "He wanted to come with me. If he didn't help me, then I wouldn't have found the crown jewels. I would probably be either caught or killed. He even offered to stay behind to stall Captain Zoro." Both of her friends shivered in fear at the name. "I'm not leaving without him."

Usopp observed his friend. The way she spoke about the prince was unlike anything the sniper had ever heard from her before. "You're in love with him."

Nami turned to the sniper in shock. Her cheeks were bright pink and she had difficulty even thinking of how to respond… until she heard a neigh. "What's that?!" A majestic white horse was at the front of the carriage.

"Oh, that's Farul!" Chopper exclaimed. "He offered to help me when I told him that I would have trouble pulling the carriage full of treasure."

"He… offered… to help?" The thief stared at the horse. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

"Yeah," the reindeer continued. "He said as long as we release him after we get to where we're going, then he doesn't mind pulling the carriage. He's really strong."

Nami was still staring at the horse in disbelief. She was grateful that her partner was able to speak with other animals. "Why does he want to be released when he's done helping us?"

"So he can return to his master. I think he said it was a Lord Cabbage?" Chopper was elated that he didn't have to pull the heavy carriage.

"Cabbage… Cabbage…" the thief had never heard of a 'Lord Cabbage'. Then it dawned on her. The majestic white horse, like out of a fairy tale. Nami cringed. "You stole Lord Cavendish's beloved horse!"

"Not 'stole', borrowed," Usopp corrected.

"And he volunteered," Chopper added. The horse neighed in agreement.

Nami rubbed her forehead with her hand. "Okay, okay. But you guys promise me that you will let that horse go as soon as we are safely able to do so. The last thing we need is Lord Cavendish hunting us down in search of his beloved Farul." Her partners nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, all three heard a large commotion at the top of the tower. Usopp put on his goggles to see Prince Sanji being thrown out the window by Captain Zoro. "I hate you, you shitty marimooooooooo!"


	10. The Rescue

There was a large commotion from the room at the top of the tower. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp all turned towards the noise. "I hate you, you shitty marimooooooooo!" The prince cursed as he began to fall.

Nami gasped, "That's Sanji's voice! What happened?" She looked to her friend for an explanation.

Peering through his goggles, Usopp couldn't believe his eyes. "No way! Th-th-the captain threw him out the window!"

"What?!" Nami grabbed one of the sniper's goggles, much to his complaint, and saw the prince crashing through the fan branch plants along the tower wall. "He's slowing down but he's not stopping! We need to do something!"

…

Sanji began to fall through the foliage that Nami's sniper friend created. The branches cracked against his back, which was already sore from when moss-head crushed him against the wall in the tower. The prince needed to find either his footing or a grip on one of the branches quickly, or else he would end up dead on the ground.

The window from the top of the tower was getting further away. Sanji tried grabbing at the branches, but he was falling too fast. Suddenly, a large creature swung in and caught him under its arm. "Hey, are you okay?" The voice was too cute and tiny to match the giant gorilla creature.

"What the…? What are you?" Sanji tried to look up but that was too difficult when being carried like a sack of flour. "Why did you save me?"

"I'm Chopper! I'm Nami's friend." The creature continued to jump through the branches. "Don't worry. We're almost to the bottom and then I can check your wounds."

The prince scoffed, "What are you, a doctor?"

"Exactly!" The little voice confirmed. Sanji had to close his eyes. This was either a dream or he was dead. It was just too weird to be reality.

In no time, the creature and the prince were safely on the ground. Sanji dropped to his hands and knees, still in shock. The giant gorilla creature disappeared and a small raccoon wearing a green shirt, blue shorts, red bow tie, and a unique hat with an "X" on it was in front of his face checking his vitals. Sitting back, the prince was about to ask the raccoon creature what its name was when he heard a familiar voice.

"Sanji!" Nami crashed into him, nearly knocking him over. Her arms were flung around his neck. The prince hugged her with his left arm as his right hand was planted on the ground behind him for support. The thief pulled back and cupped his face. "Are you okay? I thought you were going to die there for a second."

The prince still couldn't speak. The beautiful woman in front of him was confirmation enough. _I survived the fall!_ He wanted to kiss her but the little raccoon creature came between them and was listening to his chest with a stethoscope. "His heart is beating a little fast and he seems to be in a bit of shock, but he's fine," the little creature announced.

"Thank you, Chopper!" The thief thanked her friend. Sanji couldn't take his gaze off of Nami. Her smile was so warm. When her brown eyes turned back to look at him, the prince felt like he was going to melt into a puddle. "Do you think you can stand? We need to get out of here."

Nami helped the prince to his feet and put his arm over her shoulders to help support him. They followed Chopper into the bushes. "Usopp, we got him! Now we can get going… Ouch!" The thief stepped on a sharp twig. She was still barefoot.

The action snapped Sanji out of his daze. He immediately picked up Nami in his arms and called over to the long-nosed driver. "If you try to take the main road at the South end of the castle, then the entire royal guard will be waiting for you." He opened the carriage door and helped the thief into the cab before getting in. "There's a road at the North end of the castle that is unknown to visitors. We need to take that route!"

Chopper climbed up in the seat at the front of the carriage with Usopp. "Geez, the guy isn't even here a minute and he's already bossing us around," the sniper grumbled. He snapped the reins and Farul took off from the cover of the bushes.

"You should listen to my directions unless you want to be caught by the guard, but that's your business. I personally want to get out of here," Sanji called from the cab. Usopp kept his mouth shut and found the path at the North end of the castle. The prince then called up to Chopper, "Hey doctor! I need some antiseptic, tweezers, and a bandage, please." The little reindeer passed his trusted medical backpack through the little window at the front of the carriage.

Sanji climbed over the bags of treasure at the front of the cab to grab the blue bag. Taking out the tweezers and antiseptic first, he rested Nami's feet in his lap while he tried to get the splinters out. "What were you walking around outside barefoot for? A lady shouldn't be outside without shoes on."

"I lost my shoes in the stairwell," the thief explained. "It was actually for the better when climbing down the tower. If I still had my shoes, then I probably would have fallen." She tried not to cringe as she felt a large splinter come out of her foot.

The prince smiled at her expression. He applied some antiseptic to the small wounds. "You know…" he began to bandage the thief's foot, "your shoes were in my bag."

"What? Really?" Nami was surprised. "When did that happen?"

Sanji finished putting the supplies back into the medical bag. "I picked them up when I followed you up the stairwell." His cheeks turned slightly pink in embarrassment. "I figured you may need them back."

He passed the blue bag back through the window up to the reindeer. "Thank you, doctor!" Then the prince opened the bag containing the crown jewels and his personal belongings. He pulled out two glass slippers still intact. Taking each foot, he put the slippers back on the thief. Nami couldn't understand why but the gesture made her heart beat faster.

With her heels back on, the thief rested her feet on the floor of the carriage. Closing the bag up again, Sanji sat down next to her and took her hands. His blue eyes were captivating. "Nami… you rescued me."

"No, no," the thief blushed. "It was more Chopper really. He was the one that jumped up there and caught you. I just came running up to you at the bottom."

"No, I mean… you rescued me from my life." The prince smiled at her and gently squeezed her hands. "If I hadn't met you, then I would be stuck getting married to someone I don't even know and continue living a life where I could make no decisions for myself." He seemed to be in awe of her. "Thank you."

Nami didn't know how to calm the pounding in her heart. How does someone respond to such a grateful message? "You're welcome," was all she could reply.

His smile grew. "And about that kiss earlier," Sanji moved in closer to her. His right hand reached for her waist.

The thief became incredibly shy all of a sudden. Her cheeks turned a bright pink. "I-I'm so sorry! It was just something that I thought…"

"It wasn't long enough." The prince interrupted her. Nami stared at him in shock. Sanji grazed his fingers across her right cheek and gently tilted her chin up as his lips met hers. The thief felt a warm wave spread through her chest. The prince slowly pulled her body against his in an embrace. He kissed her twice more before finally speaking again. "Hey, Nami…" his voice was hushed.

"Hmm?" She felt dazed. Sanji's arms were so comforting.

"Can I see your garter again?"

Nami's face turned a bright red. "Absolutely not!"

Sanji touched her ankle. "It was the right thigh, wasn't it?"

"Stop it!"

"But you didn't hesitate to show me earlier…"

"That was when we were fighting."

"Do you want to fight again?"

"You can't fight women, remember!"

"I'll fight you if I get to see it again."

"That's not very princely behavior!"

"Well, I'm not a prince anymore anyways, so…"

"Stop! Where are you touching, hahaha!" Nami giggled.

"Ooooohhhhhh, are you ticklish there?" Nami giggled again.

Usopp wrinkled his nose as he continued to drive the carriage. "Don't tell me that this is what it's going to be like from now on… Ugh!"

Chopper just smiled. "What? I think Nami sounds happy."

"That's not the point! Never mind. I'll explain when you're older." The sniper was exasperated. "I can't believe we passed up that cool blue-haired robot guy, but now we're stuck with Mr. Prince here."

"Oi! Long-nose!" The sound of Sanji's voice made Usopp's back straighten up. "Be quiet up there or else you won't be getting any pancakes for breakfast!"

Chopper and Usopp stared at each other. "Pancakes?!" They had a knack for speaking in unison.

"I forgot to mention that Sanji can cook," Nami informed her partners. "And he's really strong." The sniper and the reindeer sang about pancakes for the remainder of the carriage ride.

That is how the prince was no longer a prince, but instead became the chain-smoking cook for the group of thieves. Sanji let Nami keep his mother's ring. He figured it was safest with her anyways. Usopp and Chopper were just happy to have actual meals every day. And they all lived happily ever after… or as happy as thieves can live.

* * *

 _Owari! Thank you so much for reading! ^^ Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it._


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